Today's Scripture Readings

Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 3/26/2013

Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture

O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 5:7-16

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but
behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, weeping.

Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field,
till there is no place Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!

In my hearing the LORD of hosts said, "Truly, many houses
shall be desolate, great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.

For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer
of seed shall yield one ephah."

Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may
follow intoxicating drink; who continue until night, till wine inflames
them!

The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine
are in their feasts; but they do not regard the work of the LORD, nor
consider the operation of His hands.

Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they
have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude
dried up with thirst.

Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth
beyond measure; their glory and their multitude and their pomp, and he who
is jubilant, shall descend into it.

People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, and
the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God
who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 4:8-15

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass,
when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and
killed him.

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And
he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your
brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

"So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its
mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

"When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its
strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."

And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I
can bear!

"Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of
the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a
vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will
kill me."

And the LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain,
vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark on Cain,
lest anyone finding him should kill him.